92 Silk and Scarlet, 



reds, and the Westgarth cock. Six pullets to one 

 cock, and the eggs as closely bred in as he could get 

 them, were two of his leading tenets ; the greater 

 part of his chickens were also hatched in April and 

 May, and he used the same stud-birds for about three 

 seasons. 

 A Peep at the The old families in Cheshire and the 

 Mains. neighbouring counties were as proud of 

 their breed of black-reds or birchen duckwings, as 

 ever Mr. Garforth was of his Marcia or Mr. Pierse of 

 his Tuberose ; and Potter and Gilliver (who fed for 

 Mr. Leigh, of Lyme), took rank in the public mind 

 with Robson and Croft. The feeling had struck deep 

 root for years. It had penetrated almost within the 

 sombre walls of York, and quiet burgesses remem- 

 bered how Mellish and Sir Francis Boynton had 

 fought main after main at Bootham Bar. There was 

 a dim story, too, that Colonel Thornton had matched 

 his best hawk against a game-cock, at Preston or 

 Knutsford, for a thousand guineas a side. Be that 

 curious wager more or less, ten guineas a battle and 

 two hundred the main was the usual standard. At 

 race meetings they often fought one *'in-go" by 

 candlelight, amid a perfect Babel of bets ; anti in the 

 Royal Westminster Pit of yore, no mains were ever 

 fought by day. To such a height had this Roger 

 Ascham passion grown, that although the bye battles 

 were only honoured with common calico, the Derby 

 main bag, with its rich lace, and its needle-embroidered 

 coat of arms, was alone worth the five shillings admis- 

 sion to see. Lord Sefton, Mr. Price of Brynpys, 

 Captain White, and Mr. Bold Haughton, all fought at 

 Chester ; while Lord Derby and Mr. Leigh of Lyme, 

 generally reserved their cocks for the Preston and 

 Newton mains. Setting was quite a distinct profes- 

 sion from feeding, and from fifteen to thirty guineas 

 was Porter's and Gum's regular fee for a great main ; 

 while George Sundley, Sam Gosling, and Redferp 



